The ARC's New Direction Prequel
by DLee6
Summary: Four months after the events of the Convergence and the fall of 'New Dawn', the British Government puts the Anomaly Research Centre through a major restructure. New field bases are being formed and new people recruited- its time to meet the future of the ARC…
1. Chapter 1- Prolouge

**Hi guys, been working on something new at the moment so there has been a massive break in uploading. But now I'm back. This story goes into a totally different direction to anything I have wrote before- it takes place four months after the events of Series 5 and sees a massive change in ARC Operations.**

**This is only the prologue and sets the direction for the new story and the next few chapters will be introducing the new characters. So stay with me and hope you enjoy.**

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**Chapter One- Prologue**

As James Lester strode through the dimly lit corridors of the Anomaly Research Centre- he knew the conversation he was about to have would be the make or break of his career. When Jessica Parker had called Lester and told him the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was waiting on the line to urgently speak with him, Lester's stomach sunk- he knew this was the end of the ARC as he knew it.

Finally Lester reached the large Main Operations Hub of the ARC- this room was the centre of all ARC Operations, everything seemed to happen in this room- and today was no exception. As Lester looked towards the large Anomaly Detection Device console at the other end of the room, he could see the members of the core team all gathered round the ADD. Lester stopped walking and simply looked at the faces gathered round the super computer. He looked from Matt, to Emily, then to Abby and Connor, and finally Becker and Jess; he saw the worried look on each face and Lester couldn't help but maintain eye contact with six of them- knowing it would worry them even more.

"Are you lot going to get back to work? Or do I have to sack you?" Lester called across the Hub- and without waiting to see the team's reaction- he strode into his office and shut the door behind him.

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"So what you're saying is- were not being shut down?" Connor said, a puzzled look on his face that when he looked around, was mirrored on each of the other team members faces.

"Yes Connor, that is exactly what I am saying" Lester said, leaning back in his leather office chair and looking at the bemused expression the faces of his team.

"I'm confused Lester" Matt said, leaning forward as he said it "Go through it again- and slowly this time" Matt asked carefully- not wanting to push his boss. Lester looked at the team and for moment he was reminded when he tried to teach his two daughters the alphabet- this was the same look.

"Fine- if that's what it takes to get you out my office then we can go through it again, but one thing first" Lester said, standing up and walking to the filing cabinet in the corner. Abby and Becker shared a worried look from across the office, turning back to Lester; they saw him pull out an expensive tumbler, six plastic cups and a rather pricey looking bottle of whiskey. He then placed the cups on the table and poured a generous amount of the liquid into the cups. Picking up the glass tumbler, he then sat down behind his desk- mentioning for the rest of the team to take a filled cup, which they did quickly.

"Don't get used to this- it's only because were celebrating" Lester said- making sure he looked each team member in the eye.

"Thank you Lester" the team said in unison and the civil servant rolled his eyes at the team before taking a sip of the whisky. _This is going to be a long conversation…_he thought to himself.

"So, after my conversation with the Prime Minster, it seems that since the whole Convergence and the _New_ _Dawn_ fiasco and Philip Burton flipping out on us, the government has been reviewing the ARC, the resources we have and just how we employ them" Lester said, taking another sip of whisky, he could feel the tension in the room and felt six sets of eyes staring intently at him.

"The impression I got from the PM was that the government has finally seen that simply scarping the barrel when it comes to ARC Operations is not enough- and we do not have enough people on the ground to deal with the anomalies, not if anything like the Convergence should happen again. Anomalies opened all around the world, and we had no control what happened. Now Miss Parker-" Lester gave Jess a small nod as he said her name "-did the most admirable job in coordinating what few teams we had in the field during the nightmare, but it was simply not enough. And the government is adamant this will not happen again" Lester said, taking a breath before he continued.

"The PM has decided that the ARC will now go international, and looking at the data Connor and Matt managed to formulate from four months ago, it has been decided that both the Canadian Government and the Australian Government will be given knowledge of the anomalies. New teams and bases will be set up in these countries, seeing as the data showed us that the most anomalies opened up in Sydney and Columbia- that's where the ARC is heading" Lester said, sighing as he looked at the half empty tumbler on the desk.

"But it doesn't stop there…the PM has also decided that the ARC needs a better structure here in the UK, so four new bases have been commissioned to be set up in Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and Brighton in the South East. This building will become the central Hub of which all future UK ARC Operations, and yet you guys- this team will still deal with incursions specifically in London, as well as sharing your expertise and experience with the new teams" Lester paused, realising he had complemented his ragtag bunch of employees "That's what the PM said, I told him he would be better off employing monkeys to do that" which earned him a giggle from Jess, Emily and Abby- the men of the group just rolled their eyes.

"I know everything that's happened since Philip has been hard on all of you, but now with the secured funding for the ARC and with all the changes that are happening- things will get stressful. You are still my team and your welfare will always come first, so my office door is always open if you need to talk to me- about anything" Lester said, recognising he had just got unusually sentimental- probably from tiredness.

"You lot can go home now, be in early tomorrow where we will be having a full briefing from a pen-pusher in a suit from the PM's office and you'll need to be wide awake" Lester said, standing up from behind his desk. When none of the other people in the room moved- he clapped his hands.

"Chop chop, I'm sure you all have homes to go to" Lester said, smiling at the flurry of movement that happened in the room. Once his office was empty, Lester watched through the large glass window as the team trooped back through the Hub towards the ADD- a feeling in his stomach as the Prime Ministers words rung in his ears…_'A new age for the ARC'_ Lester remembered them rather clearly _this could be interesting…_

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**so...the Prolouge kinda sets the scene and sets everything in motion. This story will follow the South East Field Office but there will be appearences from the Main Team as well as other familer faces. drop me a reveiw and tell me what you think :) Thanks for reading :)**


	2. Chapter 2- Sebastian Taylor

"Yes, I understand sir…of course…completely…I'll be ready in 5 minutes…thank you sir" Sebastian Taylor hung up the phone and placed his iPhone onto the coffee table before looking at the clock on the wall.

_7.25, that's not enough time…this is crazy_…that was the first thought that formed in Seb's head as he quickly jumped from the sofa and ran from his living room and into the bedroom. He looked guiltily at the unmade bed and decided it would just have to wait- he had an interview to get to after all. Pulling open the wardrobe doors, he found a white shirt and a navy blue suit and quickly dropped it onto the bed; he then found a red tie hanging up and grabbed hold of it before slamming the doors shut. He then flinched, remembering his grumpy and later going-to-be-hung-over eighteen year old son was sleeping in the next room.

As quietly and as fast as he could, he quickly dressed in the suit and ran into the bathroom across the corridor, turning on the tap; he quickly put his toothbrush under the running water before squeezing a blob of toothpaste onto the brush and ramming it into his mouth. After brushing his teeth, he turned off the tap and looked in the mirror- he grabbed the pot of hair styling cream and put a blob on his finger, rubbing it into his palms before quickly running it through his hair.

Seb then went back into the living room, glancing at the clock as he went 7:28 _wow that was quick _he thought to himself as he looked around for his shoes. Finding them by the TV, he quickly slid them on and moved into the open plan kitchen area, grabbing his son's notepad and pen of the coffee table, he opened it and ripped out a page, before scribbling a note to his son.

"_Josh, how's your head? Got an interview, don't know when I'll be back. Text me when you're up, have a good day. Misery guts_"

Seb smiled as he wrote the last two words, fondly remembering what his son had said when he stumbled through the door at three o'clock this morning. He grabbed the piece of paper and admired his scribbled writing before realising he was going to be late, he stuck it to the fridge using a magnet, the moment he had done that he heard a car horn sound outside. Knowing this was his lift; he grabbed his wallet and keys from the kitchen counter and walked towards the front door, knowing this interview could change his life.

* * *

As the sleek black Jaguar pulled into the dimly lit underground car park, Seb breathed a sigh of relief knowing he had finally reached his destination. He had been here, to the Anomaly Research Centre once before, that was nearly two years ago now and Seb had never imagined he would be back here again. As the car slowed to a stop, Seb opened the door and climbed out, he gave the driver a small nod before strolling to the lift he knew would take him up to the central part of the building.

The last time Seb had been to the ARC building was when he was interviewed for the role of Team Leader, following the disappearance of the former man in charge of the ARC team. Seb knew what the ARC did what its role was- to put it bluntly they were dinosaur hunters. The ARC tracked down doorways in time to the past and future and then dealt with the crap that came through them. It sounded like a kid's dream job.

Seb ultimately wasn't chosen for the ARC, and he went back to his day job, never thinking that he would be stood in front of that lift, and waiting to meet with James Lester.

The lift pinged and the doors promptly opened to reveal a man dressed in a black military uniform, he was stood with his hands crossed behind his back maintaining a rather calm and collected look. The man looked Seb up and down before stepping to the side.

"Sebastian Taylor?" the man asked.

"Yeah, that's me- I'm here to see James Lester" Seb replied, feeling slightly intimated by the army guy. _He's defiantly Special Ops, or something equally as secret _Seb thought to himself.

"I'm Captain Becker,I'll be escorting you up there" the army guy replied. Silently, Seb stepped into the lift, suddenly feeling very nervous about the interview.

After stepping through a full body scanner as well as handing in his phone, wallet and keys at reception, Seb was led through the ARC building towards the Main Operations Hub. They reached the large room and Seb looked round, the last time he was here they were still moving into the building- but now it looked rather cool. Gadgets and other half built bits of equipment lay scattered round the workstations.

Becker slowed to a stop and knocked on the door in front of them, Seb heard a muffled voice on the other side and Becker pushed open the door and stepped to the side, allowing Seb to walk into the room.

"Ah, Mr Taylor, good to see you again" James Lester said, standing up and holding out his hand as Seb walked into the room. Seb smiled and shook Lester's hand.

"You too Mr Lester" Seb replied, before looking round the pristine office and taking in his surroundings. Lester sat back down in his chair and said sat in the seat in front of the desk and gave Seb a look.

"So Taylor, do you have any idea why you're here?" Lester asked, pulling the drawer in the desk open and pulling out a large file before placing it on the desk.

"Not really" Seb replied truthfully "I got a call from Commander Lewis this morning saying you wanted me to come here an interview, he didn't say what it was for" Seb finished, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid he hadn't asked.

"Not to worry, seeing as we know you and you have all the appropriate clearance, this really isn't an interview. More of a job offer" Lester said, glancing out of the large glass window that overlooked the Hub.

"Oh right…what happened to the previous team leader…?" Seb asked.

"Nothing, he's still alive" Lester said, and Seb knew there was an untold story about that guy who had got the job he wanted "No, this is for a different job, or the same job in a different area" Lester said, noticing the confused look that appeared on Seb's face.

"The ARC is branching out" Lester said simply, and Seb leaned forward "We are setting up four new field bases across the country, with their own team and team leader" Lester continued, waiting for the light bulb to appear on Seb's face. "They're going to be based in Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow and Brighton. Each new field team will work independently but all major decisions will come from here, well me specifically. We need a team leader for the Brighton base, the job is yours if you want it" Lester said, looking Seb in the eye. Seb just looked at Lester with a dumbstruck look on his face; this was a lot of information to process.

"I understand if you feel you can't take the job, you know the risks and everything about the job, and seeing as you have a son and it's just the two of you. It's a lot to think about- if you need time, then we can give till the end of the week. We knew you were the perfect candidate from your last interview. The only reason you weren't picked was because I wasn't in charge of recruitment" Lester said, maintaining eye contact with Seb.

"Can I get back to you- by the end of today?" Seb asked "It's just a lot to think about and relocating to Brighton, well I need to talk it through with my son" Seb said, leaning back in his chair. Lester nodded before putting his hand into his pocket; he pulled out a business card and slid it across the table.

"This is my direct line; call me when you've made a decision" Lester said "And one more thing, I understand you need to talk it through with your son, but if you do that then he will need to come in and sign the Official Secrets Act" Lester said, standing up and Seb did the same. The two shared a look before shaking hands. Seb moved towards the door and turned around.

"One question- will I have a say in what my team looks like" Seb asked.

"Of course, they will be your team after all" Lester said, turning towards the computer on the desk. Seb smiled before pulling open the office door to find Captain Becker waiting to escort him downstairs.

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"Let me get this straight" Josh Taylor said, looking at his Dad who was sitting on the other side of the kitchen table. Josh knew this was an important conversation, it was one of the few times they sat the table together when they weren't eating "You've been offered a job working for the Government…down in Brighton?" Josh asked, trying to gauge the reaction on his dads face. There was nothing.

"Yeah, it's working with Special Ops" Seb said calmly, he knew his son would kill him for not being completely honest if he ever found out, but it wasn't like he was lying, The ARC was kind of Special Op's. "It's a new department being set up with new people and they need me to head it up. What do you think?" Josh looked at his dad with a frown on his face; he knew there was more to this job then his dad was letting on.

"What's the new department?" Josh asked his dad suspiciously.

"Well its…it's covered by the Official Secrets Act" Seb thought quickly, hoping this would satisfy his son "I can't really go into that much detail"

"So it's like MI5?" Josh asked, and Seb nodded "That's pretty cool Dad- you're gonna be a spy- like on _Spooks_" Josh laughed, leaning back in his chair as he ran his fingers through his hair. Seb breathed a sigh of relief and grinned at his son, and then his face fell slightly.

"There's one other thing though Josh. The jobs going to be in Brighton, it means were going to have to move down there, are you okay with that?" Seb asked, watching his son intently. Josh just shrugged his shoulders and stood up.

"Yeah, Brighton's not that far- my mates can always come down to me or I can drive up here. Plus I've finished college now and wanna have a year out before I decide on uni" Josh said "And where better then to stay with good old dad- rent free of course" Josh said smiling at his dad, who sighed.

"You're going to get a job Joshua" Seb said, and couldn't help but smile as his son rolled his eyes before leaving the room. Seb then pulled out his iPhone and the business card Lester had given him and carefully dialled the number in before putting the phone to his ear. The phone rang three times before Lester picked it up.

"_James_ _Lester_" Lester answered

"Hello, it's Sebastian Taylor. I'd like to take that job if it's still available"

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**Hope you enjoyed and now we've met the team leader, next up is the team medic. Coming shortly...**

**D**


	3. Chapter 3- Blaine Hudson

**Two chapters in one day...moving fast...**

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As the tyres of the _Boeing C-17 Globemaster_ touched down on the runway of RAF Northolt, Doctor Blaine Hudson breathed a sigh of relief. He had just completed his final tour of duty with the army, and now his career in the military was over. Blaine Hudson was 29 years old and one of the youngest military doctors in the world- he was known throughout the Armed Forces for his uncanny ability to be able save wounded soldiers from the most horrific of injuries. He was a truly skilled medic and the Royal Army Medical Corps were losing one of the most talented medics in its ranks.

As the C-17 began to slow down to a stop, Blaine knew that when he left the gates of Northolt-there was no going back, and he couldn't wait. The young medic had been based at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan and during his four tours of duty, he had seen soldiers die from the most gruesome injuries, and Blaine couldn't handle it anymore. Knowing that when the call came in saying that a solider had been injured in action, Blaine felt the adrenaline pump through his body- but as the war in Afghanistan stretched on, and more soldiers were wounded- the death toll also rose.

During Blaine's time in the Middle East, 37 soldiers had died on Blaine's operating table- and he remembered every single one of them and hated the fact that he couldn't save them. And that was why he couldn't carry on, because the guilt was slowly starting to eat away at his inside, and it was then he knew he needed to get out.

The C-17 finally slowed down to the stop and Blaine stood up before reaching for his battered rucksack on the floor. Around him he saw the other military personal stand up; Blaine had managed to get a ride with the transport aircraft that was picking up supply's before heading back to the warzone. The aircrafts rear doors slowly began opening, allowing the light from the glorious summer day to flood into the plane. _Home at last _Blaine thought to himself, before slowly walking out of the aircraft and into his new life.

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"I can't believe how much stuff I've missed Nick" Blaine said, looking across at his best friend, who just shrugged his shoulders.

"You were gone eight months Blaine, what did you expect?" Nick Lewis replied, keeping his eyes firmly on the road in front of him.

"Ah well, we'll have a proper catch up with beer and pizza when we get back home- please say there's some beer in the fridge" Blaine said, grinning as he saw they were only six miles from home.

"Of course I got beer in Blainers" Nick laughed, earning him a glare from his friend "Oh, forgot you hated that nickname" Nick said, before the two men fell into a comfortable silence.

Blaine Hudson had known Nick Lewis all his life, from the day Nick was born and the two had a connection no one would ever understand. Nick's parents had been the best friends of Blaine's parents since they were at school. The two couple's did everything together, holidays, parties- they were the closet of friends. Blaine father had been the Best Man at the Lewis's wedding and Blaine's mother was Maid of Honour for the bride- and the Lewis's took on those roles when Blaine's parents got married.

But when Blaine was ten years old, Nick's parents were killed in a car accident. From that day, Nick had lived with the Hudson's and had become part of the family- it was a promise the Hudson's had made to the Lewis's and they could never break it. With Nick only being two years younger than Blaine when his parents died, the older one of the two had become a big brother to Nick, and they had stuck together ever since.

Absentmindedly, Blaine watched as Nick concentrated on keeping his eyes on the road and smiled fondly as his best friend, he then remembered something he needed to ask.

"So how are you and Mindy doing" Blaine said, breaking the silence. He then saw the blush creep onto Nicks face.

"It was Mandy…and we broke up" Nick said bluntly, glancing at Blaine, who didn't really know what to say.

"Oh mate, I'm really sorry…when?" Blaine asked awkwardly.

"A month ago" Nick answered, and he looked like he was hesitating "Caught her in bed with another guy" Nick finished, slowing the car down at the traffic lights.

"Wow- I never liked her, she always seemed a bit…" Blaine struggled to find a word that fitted her description.

"It was her cousin who I caught her with" Nick said, and Blaine understood why Nick had blushed earlier. He saw the look on his best mates face and didn't know what to say.

"Her cousin…wow...that's pretty mental mate" Blaine said slowly "Your so much better off with her" Blaine said awkwardly, and the car suddenly fell into silence. After a few seconds, the two men started laughing.

"I've missed you mate" Nick said, looking his best mate in the eye before turning back to the road and slowly moving the car forward.

"I've missed you too mate. And now you're stuck with me for good" Blaine grinned "At least until I find another job" the medic said, noticing they were nearly home.

"Oh, that reminds me" Nick said excitedly "Some guy called today asking for you. Said his name was Sebastian Taylor and he had a job offer for you" Nick finished, glancing at Blaine.

"A job offer, with who, and doing what?" Blaine asked.

"No idea- he wouldn't tell me, he just said to get you to give him a call, the numbers at home on the fridge" Nick said, slowly pulling the Audi A4 into the car park in front of block of flats in which Blaine and Nick lived.

"That's well random" Blaine said as Nick switched the car ignition off. Nick nodded before pulling out the keys and opening the door.

"I know, anyway mate- home sweet home" Nick grinned, and Blaine smiled.

* * *

Blaine looked at the number Nick had scribbled onto a post it; he then began typing it into his phone and pressed dial. Blaine had taken the opportunity to call this Sebastian Taylor person whilst Nick had gone to get the two of the some pizza.

"_Hello_" a voice answered, and Blaine suddenly felt butterflies in his stomach.

"Hello- this Blaine Hudson, you spoke to my flatmate and he said you wanted to talk to me about a job" Blaine started nervously.

"_Ah, hi Blaine, I'm Sebastian Taylor- how are you doing_?" the guy said.

"I'm okay thanks Sebastian" Blaine answered "Yourself?" Blaine asked out of courtesy as he opened the balcony doors of the eighth floor flat.

"_Not too bad and please, call me Seb_" the guy replied, and Blaine felt slightly less nervous.

"Okay Seb, will do. My flat mate said you had a job offer for me, but I'm kinda confused how you got my number- I haven't applied for any jobs" Blaine said slowly, wondering if this was just a mistake.

"_I got your number from the Armed Forces Database. There's a vacancy with my new team and from the rumours I've heard about you and your medical skills, you make the ideal candidate_" Seb said, and Blaine was even more confused.

"What exactly is the job?" Blaine asked, intrigued as to what the job was. The other end of the phone went silent for a moment.

"_Have you ever heard of the ARC Operation_" Seb asked, and Blaine realised he had.

"The ARC" Blaine answered slowly "The ARC as in the Anomaly Research Centre?" Blaine answered, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he remembered his previous encounter with the team.

"_That's the one and I'm going to take that as a yes_" Seb said "_Do you know what there actually job is_?" Seb said slowly.

"Yeah- they catch dinosaurs and then chase them back through doorways in time to the past and future. I know the ARC is top secret and you need high level security clearance to even talk about it" Blaine said.

"_How do you know about them then_" Seb asked, and Blaine could hear the almost pleased tone in Seb's voice.

"I've worked with them once. One of their creature things went on a rampage inside a tube station; I was there and gave the wounded medical assistance. After that I had to sign the Official Secrets Acts and was told to never mention it again" Blaine replied, shuddering as he remembered the incident.

"_Well that's what the job offer is. I'm setting up a new team for the ARC's new field base in Brighton, I need a medic and I've heard you're the best combat doctor the Armed Forces has to offer and that your recently unemployed_" Seb said "_I know it's a big decision and you probably have questions you want to ask me so why don't you meet me tomorrow at the Costa in Wimbledon Town Centre and we can have a proper chat then? Shall we say, 11ish_" Seb finished, and Blaine wasn't sure what to say.

"Okay, I guess" Blaine said.

"_Brilliant, see you then_" Seb said, and with that, put the phone down- leaving Blaine standing on the balcony with a lot to think about.

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**Hope you enjoyed, would mean alot if you could drop a reveiw and tell what you think. More chapters will be up soon and we meet the rest of the team.**

**D**


	4. Chapter 4- Kerry Noble

**Thank you to everyone who reveiwed the previous chapters, im glad you liked them. Now time for chapters 4 & 5 and to meet the rest of the team...**

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As the slow, loud rumbling noise of the general public filled the air at London Zoo, Kerry Noble yawned, covering her mouth with one hand whilst carefully spraying the dirty glass with window cleaner using the other. Sighing, she then began to slowly wipe away the numerous hand outlines and smears for what was the sixth time today. Kerry stopped, watching as Leanne; a five year old African lioness made her way into the enclosure, before laying lazily lying down on the rock about fifteen feet from where Kerry was standing.

_I wonder what it's like, being one these animals in an enclosure, with hundreds of people pressing their faces against the glass, watching your every move…_Kerry thought as she watched the lioness on the other side of the glass looking lazily at the zookeeper that was staring back at her. Kerry carefully finished cleaning the glass, knowing it would need to be done again in an hour once the London public made their way back into the Lions enclosure, pressing their faces against the now sparkling clean glass. Once Kerry put the bottle of window cleaner back in the cupboard, she walked through the dimly lit tunnel and stood looking inside the enclosure, watching as Leanne rolled onto the back, enjoying the London sunshine, unaware of the man standing just a few metres away.

"Lions really are amazing animals aren't they" the man said, his voice echoing slightly round the empty corridor. Kerry, who hadn't seen him, quickly turned around- her heart racing fast in her chest.

"This area is closed- how did you get in here" Kerry said firmly, squinting through the faintly lit corridor to see where the voice had come from.

The man stepped forward and Kerry glared at the new comer. He looked in his early thirty's- he was wearing a smart black suit and had stubble coating his cheeks and chin, there was something about the man that made Kerry feel uneasy.

"I opened the door" the man said, nodding his head in the direction of where the main entrance to the enclosure was. Kerry could feel goose bumps forming on her arms, she really didn't like this.

"Well like I said, the enclosure is currently shut" Kerry said, trying to sound like she had some authority in her voice. The man clearly wasn't listening to the young zookeeper, he just walked over to where she was stood and faced the glass- watching as the huge cat on the other side of the glass strolled through the enclosure.

"I think we got off to the wrong start. Sebastian Taylor" the said, turning to Kerry with a genuine smile on his face, he held out his hand, which Kerry ignored.

"You still shouldn't be in here" Kerry said, crossing her arms across her chest and looking the man in the eye. Seb shrugged his shoulder and dropped his, before looking back at the glass.

"I've been trying to get hold of you for a week now, but you seem to be rather unreachable" Seb said, watching the lioness intently. Kerry glared at the man- wondering what the hell was going on.

"What are you exactly, some kind of stalker?" Kerry said, not even attempting to disguise the annoyance in her voice.

"I work for the government Kerry, and I have a job offer for you" Seb said, turning to look at Kerry now. Kerry stood shocked for a moment, trying to piece together what was happening.

"A job offer…" Kerry said, pausing as Seb nodded, she then felt uneasy again "Hang on…how do you know my name?" Kerry said quickly, glaring again. She then saw Seb nod his head towards the name badge on her chest.

"Okay, this is not going how I wanted it to go. How about we grab some lunch and I can explain everything?" Seb said, giving Kerry a small smile. The young zookeeper knew she should say no, that she should walk away, but there was something intriguing about the man in front of her.

"I have half an hour for lunch, and there's a small café just next door" Kerry said, letting this Sebastian man lead the way.

* * *

Seb turned away from the café counter and watched as Kerry vaguely stared out of the window in front of her, watching as a group of school children ran past, the teacher in charge clearly struggling to keep them all together. They had managed to find a secluded corner in the packed 'Safari Snacks' café just next to the lion enclosure, and Seb was just waiting for the two coffees he had ordered. The waitress behind the till placed two hot coffee mugs on a tray and pushed them forward, giving Seb a smile as she said have a nice day.

Seb turned around and carefully made his way through the café, making sure he didn't spill boiling coffee on one of the numerous hyperactive kids' heads.

"You're an expert at avoiding hyper kids" Kerry said as Seb made his way to the table and placed the tray down before sitting opposite the zookeeper.

"I have a son, and I'm a single parent- you have to train yourself in the art of _hot object balancing_" Seb said, smiling absentmindedly as he ripped open two sugar sachets and tipped the contents in to the mug.

"Oh…I'm sorry" Kerry said awkwardly as she looked Seb in the eye, the man looked back at her confused.

"Why are you sorry?" Seb asked, lifted the mug to his lips and taking a sip as he watched Kerry try to figure what words to say.

"Well…you know…about being a single parent and that…" she mumbled quietly, waiting for a reaction of Seb; who just laughed.

"Don't be sorry Kerry" Seb began "My sons '_mother'_ abandoned him when he was two days old, since then it's been just the two of us" Seb said, leaning back. Kerry was beginning to feel more and more at ease with the man she had met fifteen minutes earlier.

"So how old is your son, if you don't mind me asking" Kerry said as she took a sip from her mug.

"He's eighteen, his names Josh" Seb said, pulling out his wallet and showing Kerry a picture of a much younger looking Seb and a small brown haired boy smiling at the camera.

"He's cute" Kerry said, taking the picture and looking more closely at it "How old are you though, you don't look old enough to have an eighteen year old kid" Kerry said, passing the photo back to Seb, who smiled.

"I'm 34" Seb said simply, causing Kerry's mouth to drop slightly.

"34…so you were like…" Kerry began, attempting to do the maths, but Seb cut her off.

"16 when he was born. He wasn't planned, you know how it is. Get drunk at a party, meet a girl, and take her home. Nine months later I find a basket on the doorstep with a letter saying that this was my kid and she was sorry for doing this but she didn't want to be a single mother. All the documents were there, haven't heard from her since" Seb said, wrapping his hands round the now warm mug of coffee.

Kerry looked at the man in front of her and all of thoughts and comments she had made earlier she took back- she might get on with this guy.

"Anyway- enough about me" Seb said, clearing his throat, he then bent own and opened the shoulder bag he had and pulled out a huge file, he then placed it on the table.

"Earlier I said I had been looking for you for a while. The reason is because I have a job offer for you" Seb said, looking Kerry in the eye. Intrigued, the young zookeeper mentioned for Seb to carry on.

"I work for a government organisation and I'm in the process if recruiting a team. I would like you to be part of this team" Seb said, pausing as he tried to think of the words. "The organisation I work for is the Anomaly Research Centre- the work we do is classified, even at the highest level" Seb said, lowering his voice.

"Since early 2006- rips in the fabric of time and space have been opening across the UK. The rips are called anomalies, and they act like doorways in time to the past, the present and the future and through these anomalies come prehistoric and futuristic creatures. The ARC attempts to predict and contain these anomalies, as well as return the creatures that come through, and they do all of this without the public knowing" Seb said, looking Kerry in the eye. The woman looked shocked for a moment, before she burst into laughter.

"Do you really expect me to believe that? Like seriously- what movie did you steal that idea from? Hang on, I know this one- isn't it _Stargate_ or something" Kerry said, wiping the tears from her eyes. Seb just sat there looking at the zookeeper, who eventually stopped laughing.

"That's the truth Kerry" Seb said, leaning forward "We can talk more about it but not here" Seb then pointed at the file he had placed on the table.

"This file details your life- it has everything. Exam results, family history, previous employment…the lot. I haven't read it just yet, I wanted to meet you first, this file was given to me by my boss detailing why you make the ideal candidate to be part of my team" Seb said, drinking the last of his coffee.

"You're being serious aren't you? Like deadly serious?" Kerry said, still not really believing what the man in front of her had just told her. Seb nodded before stowing the file back in his bag.

"I know this all probably sounds really crazy but it's not. Trust me" Seb said, leaning back in his seat and watching the zookeeper intently.

"Okay" Kerry began "Let's say I believe you and become part of your team, what exactly will my role be?" Kerry said, looking for any kind of reaction in Seb's eyes.

"You'll be my Animal Behaviour Expert. I know about the four years you spent working for the Mombasa Safari Park, I've seen your references. Your amazing with animals, you can read them and understand them. I need someone like that" Seb said, not breaking eye contact with Kerry.

"I have a job though…and I love it" Kerry said, looking away from Seb and turning back to the look out of window.

"No you don't Kerry, anyone can see that. You may like the job but you don't want to be stuck behind the glass, cleaning the smears and giving tours. I can see the passion you have, I know you want to be working hands on with the animals- and this job can't give you that" Seb said.

"How do I know this isn't some wind up? How do I know you're not lying to me" Kerry said, leaning forward and resting her arms on the table. Seb also leant forward; he then put his hand in his blazer pocket and pulled out something.

"The reason I'm not lying is because…I have a fancy-looking business card Kerry. It has my number on, give me a call once you've though about it. Then we can talk salary and location" Seb said, standing up and placing the card into Kerry's hand.

"I need an answer by Friday though Kerry. I need a complete team on Monday when we officially start. I hope to have you there" Seb said, giving Kerry a small nod before making his way out of the café.

Kerry sat watching him leave with a million and one thoughts flying round her head, she then looked at the business card in her hand. She quickly pulled out her iPhone and dialled the number, listening as it ran four times before someone answered.

"_You don't need to check the numbers real Kerry_" the voice of Sebastian Taylor filled her ear "_Trust me, have a think and get back to me_" he finished before hanging up.

Kerry stared at the phone in her hand and smiled. _What the bloody hell just happened? _Kerry thought to herself _Have I just got a new job…_?

* * *

**Hope you liked, drop a reveiw and tell me what you think :)**

**D**


	5. Chapter 5- Jake Evans

**Chapter 5...enjoy :)**

* * *

As the sun broke across the horizon, it casted its beautiful red and orange glow as far as the eye could see. With it being 5:32 in the morning, most on London was still sleeping- only the faint noise of the first early morning trains could be heard in the air.

High up on the 6th floor of a rather expensive looking block of flats, a lonely figure stood at the window, gazing across the small green that was across the road. The person simply stared into space, as if there was nothing else in the world. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of being home, and being awake this early. Even though London was one of the nosiest places on the globe- it was in the early hours when the man truly enjoyed living in the city. It was so peaceful, almost tranquil, a far cry from the warzone he has escaped from three months previously. The figure raised a hand and ran it through his unruly medium length hair, he then rubbed the stubble on his cheeks before inattentively placing his hand on the rather nasty looking scar he had just below his collarbone. The scar ran right from the middle of his chest all the way to his left shoulder, the man absentmindedly ran his index finger from one end of the scar to the other, wincing slightly as he remembered the memory of that fateful day.

The man was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a low, grumbling noise, he took a step closer to the window and rested his forehead against the glass- staring across through the trees that lined the edge of the small green. Squinting, the man saw twinkling lights in the distance, rubbing his eyes, he peered into the green and saw the most peculiar sight. Floating above the grass, in the air was a ball of light, surrounding the light were what looked like floating shards of glass- dancing idly through the air.

Taking a step back, the man's survival instincts kicked in, he pulled on a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and a black t-shirt. He then looked around his cluttered bedroom finding a blue hoddie, he then grabbed his keys and the long, black torch he kept by the door and left the room, determined to find out what the hell was going on.

* * *

As the man left the block of flats and jogged down the stone steps that led out onto the main road, he strolled past passed his black Ford Focus and glanced in the window _I look crap_ he thought to himself. Looking both ways across the road, there wasn't a single person or car outside- it was still early after all. The man quickly crossed the road and walked through the gap in the iron railings that surrounded the green, as he stepped onto the concrete path that ran right through the centre of the grassy space, the man could see clearly the ball of light.

_What the hell is that_…he whispered under his breath, looking around the park noticing it was empty as far as he could see- he slowly began walking down the path, lighting his torch as he went. As he got closer and closer to bright light, the shards of glass that were floating around it seem to begin slower and slower. The man slowed down to a stop and looked at the light- he couldn't help the goose bumps that formed on the back on his neck, the light was mesmerising.

Out of the darkness, the man heard a slight moaning noise, swinging around quickly- he flashed the torchlight into the dark and noticed a small bundle, a small moving bundle. The man realised it was a person- and they sounded hurt.

"Hello…who's out there?" the man called out into the distance, slowly moving towards the bundle- there was no reply. The man ran forward towards the figure and gasped- the figure was lying on their back, and they were covered in blood. _Bloody hell…_the man said to himself as he knelt down on the ground, he shone the torchlight into the wounded figures face and realised it was a young woman, she can't have been more than 22 years old, she didn't look in a great way.

"Hello, I can help you, what's your name" the man said, slowly putting his fingers to the woman's neck, he managed to find a pulse- but it was weak, too weak. The woman's eyelids slowly fluttered open and the man could hear breathing, it sounded raspy like she was struggling to breathe.

"Help…help me…please…it…hurts…so…bad" the woman mumbled, she looked pale in the artificial torchlight. The man shone the torch onto the woman's body; she was wearing a black tank top and dark three quarter lengths as the man looked her up and down, he noticed that blood covered most of the skin that was showing- this was not good.

"Right, what's your name hun, I need you to keep talking to me" the man said, quickly pulling off his blue hoddie. He immediately felt the cold hit him and he shivered, but he didn't care, he needed to keep this woman calm so he carefully placed the hoddie on the ground and lifted the woman's head, laying his hoodie under her head.

"It's Cla…Claire…Claire Hunt…please don't…don't leave me" the woman managed to mumble out.

"Hi Claire, I promise I'm not going anywhere. What happened to you?" the guy said as he put his hand into his pocket and found his phone. He was about to dial 999 when he heard a growling noise from behind him. He looked into Claire's eyes and saw the fear fill her eyes, whatever happened to her- it was something to do with that noise.

Tensing up, the man slowly lifted his head, staring straight ahead as he heard what sounded like deep purring coming from close behind him. In the distance the man caught the sound of squealing car tyres; he then noticed the sound of crying coming from Claire. As the man began to slowly turn around, standing as he did. He was stood face to face with what looked like a large cat standing about 7 feet away from where the man was stood. The cat was nothing the man had ever seen before; it was huge, about the same size as a lion, just without the mane. Before the man could react, he heard voices in the distance and what looked like torches flashing across the clearing.

The cat flinched and lifted its head and roared, the sound rung out in man's ears and the man grasped onto the torch tighter. The shouting got closer and out of nowhere- the sound of shots rung through the air; it was nothing like the man had ever heard. He heard the large cat yelp before hitting the ground with the thud, before he knew it; figures wearing black military uniforms were approaching from all sides- they had their guns trained on the cat.

"We have the creature contained" a voice said, the Irish accent sounding loud in the peace and quiet "All teams stand down. Connor, get here with a Locking Mechanism" the owner of the voice came into view, he looked in his early thirty's, stubble coated his cheeks and chin, he was physically fit from what the man could tell.

"I need help" the figure said numbly, quickly remembering the whole reason he was here. The Irish man looked at him and shone his torch at the person, he noticed the blood covering his hands and jogging bottoms. He then moved his torch to the left and saw the body of the young woman. The Irish man glanced at the guy walking next to him, who pressed his finger to his ear.

"Jess, its Becker, I need an ambulance here now. We have a wounded civilian, urgent paramedic needed" the other man said, jogging over to where the figure was standing. He knelt and immediately set to work.

"What's your name mate?" the Irish man asked, looking the figure in the eye.

"It's Jake. Jake Evans" the man replied, hearing the sound of sirens in the distance.

"Who are you? And what the hell was that?" Jake asked, looking at the now unconscious cat on the ground.

"I'm Matt Anderson- and were the ARC"

* * *

It was now 9:15am and at the Anomaly Research Centre, Jake Evans had been sat in the small, faintly lit interview room for just under three hours. In front of him on the plastic table was a now cold cup of black coffee, it had been there for the past hour.

Jake looked around the room again, taking in his surrounding, there was nothing in the room apart from the table he was sat at and the two plastic chairs either side. The wall Jake was facing had a large mirror, and Jake knew it was a two way mirror where the people on the other side could see him, but he couldn't see them. Coming from a military background, Jake knew he had to stay calm as there was probably a group of people watching him this closely, analysing his behaviour, examining his every move. Jake knew the group probably included the Irish guy- Matt Anderson who had interviewed him when he was bought to their base and the other man, Captain Becker who had watched over the interview.

The door to the left of Jake slowly opened, snapping the ex-solider out of his thoughts. Jake looked up and saw a face he didn't recognise, the man was wearing a black slim fitted suit and evenly trimmed stubble coated his cheeks.

"Sorry you had to wait so long Jake, I had a bit of reading to do before I came in" the man said, reaching Jake and holding out his hand.

"Without being rude, but who the hell are you?" Jake said, ignoring the outstretched hand in front of him as he tried hard to keep the anger out of his voice.

"My name is Sebastian Taylor" the man, taking his hand back and sitting down opposite Jake, dropping a large brown file onto the table.

"Look, I'm not being funny. I have been here three hours now, when am I going to be allowed to go home? I told the other guy everything I saw. I have nothing else to say" Jake said, leaning forward and lacing his fingers on the table in front of him.

"You can go home right now if you want. Your interview is over, the others have everything they need from you" Seb said, leaning back and studying Jake closely "What I want to ask you has nothing to do with the events of this morning" he finished, trying to gauge the reaction on Jakes face. The two met sat in silence, each trying to work out what the other was thinking. After a minute or so, Seb was the one to break the silence.

"Your name is Jacob Benjamin Evans, you were born in Wiltshire. You dropped out of school at 16 and moved to Sandhurst, Berkshire where you enlisted to the RMA Sandhurst. You passed with distinctions at the age of 21, one of the youngest men in your unit" Seb said, looking up and watching Jake closely "In 2009 you were posted on your first deployment to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan" Seb opened the file and read the details in front of him "You completed four, six month tour of duties during three years of service before being removed from duty following an injury which very nearly killed you. Says here your unit was ambushed by insurgents…a grenade destroyed your armoured vehicle and you were critically wounded. Somehow you survived, but were discharged from the army after failing your psych evaluation" Seb finished, closing the file and looking Jake in the eye. He could see the tears forming in the younger man's eyes, he decided to stop there and let Jake start the next conversation.

"What does any of that have to with what I saw last night?" Jake said after a while once he had steadied his breathing.

"Nothing to be honest with you, you're a remarkable man Jake. Not many people could survive what you went through" Seb said, watching as Jake wiped the tears from his eyes "Since you were wounded you have been unemployed, is that right?" Seb said, and Jake gave the older man a nod. "I have a job that I think you would be perfect for you" Seb said, leaning back in his chair "The people who interview you earlier- they work for a government team called the Anomaly Research Centre. That thing that attacked that woman- was a prehistoric creature from around 20,000 years ago, the strange light you saw- that was a doorway way in time, a rip in the fabric of reality that allowed that creature to come through to our time" Seb finished, Jake sat and looked at the man in front of him.

"How is Claire?" Jake asked quietly, looking Seb in the eye. Seb was surprised the younger man remembered the woman's name.

"She was taken into surgery this morning. Her condition is still critical but she is stable. The doctors are confident she will make a full recovery" Seb said, and Jake sighed.

"Prehistoric creatures, doorways in time, this sounds like a plot for some sci-fi movie" Jake said, running his fingers through his unruly hair.

"And yet you don't seem to be surprised by any of it" Seb said, keeping eye contact with Jake, who looked up.

"Well none of what happened this morning seemed normal in the slightest. From the massive cat to the weapons the soldiers used on it" Jake said, thinking back to what had happened nearly four hours ago.

"The job I want to offer you, it'll be working for the ARC. Not here in London though, we are setting up a new office on the South East coast, I'll be team leader for the office. I want you to be my Weapons Specialist" Seb said leaning forward "I can tell you more about it later but I need a decision before you leave this room" Seb said, looking Jake in the eye. The ex-solider looked at the man in front of him before leaning forward, a small smile forming on his lips.

"When do I start?"

* * *

**One more team member to introduce and then the story begins. You know the drill, please leave me a reveiw- they are the only thing that keep me writing :)**

**D**


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